Book Review - A Certain Wolfish Charm by Lydia Dare

A Certain Wolfish Charm - Westfield Brothers 1 by Lydia Dare

Synopsis
In Lydia dare's debut trilogy, Regency England has gone to the wolves!
He gets crankier and crankier as the moon gets full...
The rules of Society can be beastly-especially when you're a werewolf and it's that irritating time of the month. Simon Westfield, the Duke of Blackmoor, is rich, powerful, and sinfully handsome, and has spent his entire life creating scandal and mayhem. It doesn't help his wolfish temper at all that Miss Lily Rutledge seems not the least bit afraid of him, and in fact, may be as untamable as he is...

A woman whose charm is stronger than the moon...


When Lily's beloved nephew's behavior becomes inexplicably wild, she turns to Simon, the boy's cousin and guardian, for help. But Simon's idea of assistance is far different than hers, and Lily finds herself ensconced in his house and engaged to the rogue.


They both may have bitten off more than they can chew when each begins to discover the other's darkest secrets...

My Review


If you remember not so long ago I read and Reviewed the 3rd novel in the Westfield Brother series The Wolf Next Door (review here) and was totally charmed by these hunky man wolfs and couldn't resist more so I went and ordered the first two in the series. (sigh*) A Certain Wolfish Charm is the first in the Westfield Brothers series by Lydia Dare and a great start to a series it is....it would have been a great stand alone novel as it leaves you content at the end but I'm grateful for the continuation as I don't think I could ever get enough of those moon howling beasts with there 'suduce me ' charm.

A Certain Wolfish Charm is about the elder brother in the Westerfield Family, Simon a stubborn yet daring man who meets his match in Lily and her stubborn ways, he falls for her immediately and from there Lydia wastes no time with the mission to unleash the beast. They both are well suited characters who's characteristics allowed me to take an extremely memorable journey with them.

I'm in Love with this series so far and I must say if anyone can get me to devour a 375 page book in less then 3 hours they deserve a well earned thumbs up and recommendation from me. Lydia wastes no time in getting straight to the point not hovering over unnecessary bits of information that are rendered useless to the novel but hitting the spots that make you um and arr. I love her characters and there little love scenario, it makes me want more and more I will get ;o)

Book Review - The Secrets We Keep by Colette Caddle

The Secrets We Keep by Colette Caddle

Synopsis
Four years ago Erin Joyce left Dublin under a cloud and bought a guesthouse in the remote, beautiful village of Dunbarra. The Gatehouse attracts a strange clutch of guests who, once ensconced, never want to leave. There's Hazel, a shy artist, and her sweet, silent daughter Gracie. Sandra, a brash American, wants to know everything about everyone. Then there's wise old easy-going PJ, who's seemingly part of the furniture. But Erin's fragile happiness is thrown off-balance by the arrival of A-list Hollywood actor Sebastian Grey. Erin finds herself drawn to this handsome enigmatic man, who used to walk with a swagger but now prowls the country lanes with haunted eyes. What trauma could have brought about this devastating change? Sebastian isn't the only one in the Gatehouse with a secret. Why is Hazel cast so adrift? Where does PJ go each week without fail, and what really brought Sandra to Dunbarra? As Erin finds herself embroiled in her guests' secrets she starts to ask herself: will she be ready to reveal her own?

My Review
I'm a sucker for a good book, one that I don't get bored with easily and keeps me turning the pages right to the very end....and I must say The Secrets We Keep is certainly one of those books. I didn't think it was possible for a book to be written on such simple life matters to be so engaging, there is normally a lack of umph for me in Contemporary Fiction but not with Colette's novel The Secret We Keep, there is just something about the character's lives that wants you to know and need more.

Colette writes her characters well, I was touched by the difference between each individual and the fact that the main story was about Erin and was mostly from her point of view, but there was also little sections from many of the other characters in her life's point as well and that only made it more interesting to know how they where feeling also but never giving away too much information or that you guessed what was wrong or what would happen next...

Erin was a little naive when it came to certain things or should I say a certain someone...although she had the world on a platter ready to do anything for her she gave it all up for a possibility and this infuriated me.... She had Ronan a darling of a gentleman who was affectionate and compassionate giving Erin the space she needed when she needed it and then there was Sebastian a man who could have it all and then some, I certainly wanted to smack him one when I read the truth towards the end I mean 'what the funk he is such a punk' but these characters only added to the great atmosphere in this novel!

Colette Caddle has certainly touched a soft spot with this novel and not only has she thought inside the closet but she leaped outside too, giving me an awesome awestruck ride along the way as I hunt down for the truth behind my many possibilities...I'm also truly smoked away by the ending and I may just tempt myself for her latest release Always On My Mind.

Book Review - The Prophecy by John Kilgallon

The Prophecy by John Kilgallon

Synopsis
A stolen manuscript. New York Author Sam Tynnan is violently assaulted and his new thriller wiped from his computer. Then world events begin to mirror those in his unpublished book - "An Ancient Prediction". Provence Nostradamus devotee Jean-Pierre comes across an undiscovered prophecy which he suspects holds the key to catastrophic global events. A Terrifying Race Against Time - London MI5 spook, Adel Al-Shaffir, faces a new terrorist threat - one with a secret blueprint for their course of destruction. Could Sam's book hold the key to the terrorism that has seized the world? Is the prophecy coming true? Adel needs to get Sam to trust him - but time is running out for them all.


My Review
So when I received this novel and began to read it I found it was nothing like I expected, I was thrown into a fast paced thrilling read and couldn't put it down until it was complete. Maybe because this is not my normal genre or maybe it was because I needed a change but whatever it was I loved it. It was so nice to see things from another point of view when it comes to terrorism and it was from an Islamic point rather then a western point of view...a view that had me intrigued thoroughly throughout.
 
John Kilgallon writes with an exceptional skill, he has been compared to many writers who I would say have outstanding talent and I can do nothing but agree with all those that said he was alike Sam Bourne ,Frederick Forsyth and Harlan Coben. Truly Outstanding and not only is his writing perfect but his characters and research where outstanding beyond belief too. John certainly has entered my reading life with a bang with this thrilling novel. One I would certainly recommend.

Book Review - The Wolf Next Door by Lydia Dare

The Wolf Next Door by Lydia Dare

Synopsis
Rogue, Rake…Werewolf. Years ago on a full moon, Lord William Westfield gave way to his inner beast and nearly ruined young Prisca Hawthorne. Knowing he can never trust himself in the arms of the woman he loves, he throws himself into a debauched lifestyle. When Westfield discovers he has a rival for Prisca's love, he decides if she's going to marry a Lycan it damn well better be him. But time is running out as Prisca's other suitor takes an instant and potentially fatal dislike to Westfield

My Review
The Wolf Next Door is the third part in The Westerfield Brother Trilogy but you don't have to read the previous two, to thoroughly enjoy this novel as you don't miss out much it would do great as a stand alone. Lydia writes with a natural skill her work flows and I found my self lost within the pages of The Wolf Next Door completely devouring it in a matter of hours and when I was finished I wanted more. It had all the things I needed right now in a novel....a historical setting, a set of hunky lycans, a bad guy, love, romance and humour, a much needed and speedy read. 

The Wolf Next Door is about Prisca and William Westerfield a couple who are in denial about there love for each other. Will is a hunk of a man who is also a Lycan, a man who has done wrong but is trying to put it right, I loved his charm, his wit, his confidence and his manner yup you got it, I fell head over heals for him and then there is his love Prisca....a girl I was at ends with she frustrated me with her innocence and yet her maturity made me love her....I never knew it was possible to have both characteristics but she held them both....she was a girl who knew what she wanted when she wanted it and wouldn't let nothing or no one get in her way until it was Will of course, her humour had me laughing out loud, her stubbornness had me sympathising with her and if that wasn't enough she was down right crazy and all a girl can do is love her.

The Wolf Next Door is a fabtastic read...one I'm eager to continue...Lydia writes with great flow that allows you to breeze with minimal creases to the spine ;o) I'm eager to get my hands on the previous 2 novels,

• Bk1 - A Certain Wolfish Charm,
• Bk2 - Tall Dark and Wolfish

and then there is the need to continue with

• Bk4 - The Taming of the Wolf

So yeah I'm a little addicted to Lydia right now, I have never read a single page of her writing before but after reading The Wolf Next Door I'm hooked like a fish after bait I mean WOW! A definite recommendation to all my Adult readers.

Buy Me - UK - US
Read more about Lydia and her books HERE

  

Book Review - A Cottage by the Sea by Ciji Ware

A Cottage by the Sea by Ciji Ware

Synopsis
Some might call it running away . . .

But after a scandalous Hollywood divorce, Blythe Stowe considered it damage control for body and soul. The pain, the humiliation, the daily tabloids shouting details as her famous husband dumped her for her own sister demanded a serious getaway: to the wild coast of Cornwall and a cottage by the sea that her Wyoming grandmother claimed had been home to her ancestors.
Some might call it chance . . .

But Blythe encountered more than just a quaint retreat nestled amid vivid skies and gorgeous ocean. And she had the odd sensation that her wickedly handsome neighbor Lucas Teague was more than a British gentleman going broke. He might be her
destiny . . .

My Review
This is the first novel I have ever read by Ciji Ware and I am sure it won't be my last. A Cottage by The Sea is an addictive read that took me through every page with a comforting ease while I got hooked on the life like characters along the way...a novel of true romance with droppings of suspense and humour in all the right places and if that wasn't enough then the hunk Lucas was!!

Ciji wrote her characters with great thoroughness and I admire that..I loved Blythe she was a strong and spunky character while still remanding soft...she certainly wasn't a push over but she wasn't arrogant even though she had qualities that could have made her like that, Blythe became an added person to my heart...I mean ow! stop making me hurt women, and then there was Lucas.....I felt a strong pull to this character with his daily habits and somewhat charming life...they where both oblivious to what was so obvious to me! Sigh* I would call it innocence but that would be pushing my luck ;o)

Overall Ciji writes a beautiful and compelling novel, Living in UK I'm lucky enough to experience Cornwall growing up as it was a place me and my family would visit for the summer. Ciji explains my child hood Holiday destination with great clarity that allowed my heart to miss it, what's the saying absence makes the heart grow fonder and I think my absence is well overdue as my heart aches with longing!

I would recommend this novel to all my adult readers as it is one that no doubt you will love it has everything a girl needs from romance to history and all things in between including a yummy man face;o)....a novel I'm glad I picked up this year and one you may just regret if you don't.

Book Review - Heaven, Hell and Mademoiselle by Harold Carlton

A book for my Adult Readers
Heaven, Hell & Mademoiselle by Harold Carlton(buy me)

Synopsis
Four young fashion hopefuls arrive in Paris, 1968, determined to claw their way to the top of the ruthless world of the haute couture. Monique, a seamstress destined to become so much more, watches Chanel's staff spray No 5 perfume in the street outside the famous maison de couture. Can her dreams of success and love come true in this magical place? Christopher, London born and bred, a handsome new designer, determined to make it in a world where sex-appeal and success go hand in hand - and heterosexual men are rare and prized. Samantha, an ultra-spoiled Daddy's girl who always gets her way, has the gift of selling French perfume and fashion with sex, sex and yet more sex. But can a loud, brash American ever conquer the sophisticated ladies of Paris? And hauntingly beautiful Sophie, the top model who becomes Chanel's 'Face' on a million billboards and magazine covers, yet has a terrible secret in her past that refuses to stay buried. Four young lives collide and entangle in the secretive world of French fashion as Harold Carlton weaves a spellbinding tale of passionate love, ambitious rivalry and exquisite clothes.

My Review

My Grandma never left me alone when I told her I had a Harold Carlton book for review 'oh I love him....my favourite book of his is Labels...oh once I picked it up I couldn't put it down' she went on and as my nan has never been wrong about a great author I trusted her word and waited until the girls where away so I could start reading!

Harold Carlton manages to combine his inside knowledge of fashion with the brilliantly described main characters at the same time as throwing in humour and atmosphere which perfectly evokes Paris at the time.The story is set in the late sixties going in to the seventies. It is a stunning portrayal of what life in retro, post-war, pre-seventies hippie must be like. I was amazed with this unexpected read which felt like a tribute to the legendary Mademoiselle Chanel. It left me comparing notes with the history of her, although some facts are changed the basic idea of how Chanel must be like, and how a fashion house operates are convincingly real.

Overall I agree with my Grandma Harold is a great writer but this novel wasn't for me I felt it was a little too long even though I enjoyed the characters and the plot there where many parts I found myself skimming across. I do recommend this book to anyone with a love for Sex and the City and The Devil Wears Prada it is a 'Fashionista read'(and believe me when I say I'm no fashionista I just LOVE The Devil Wears Prada).

Happy Reading xxx